14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has released a new Office preview build to users participating in the Insider program.
Microsoft Office version 1901 (build 11231.20080) allows Office 365 subscribers to try out the January 2019 feature update in advance, as the software giant has prepared several improvements this month.
First and foremost, Microsoft is expanding its @mention feature support to PowerPoint and Word. This particular feature was rolled out last year and it allows you to add comments in a document where other users, such as your colleagues, can see where their input is required.
@mention support is particularly helpful for collaboration and co-authoring, and beginning with this update, it is available in both Word and PowerPoint. Furthermore, Microsoft Excel is getting this update as well, together with support for comments.
Two Outlook improvements
Microsoft is also implementing a new search option to help users look for certain content in their documents in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
“Looking for a file you worked on recently? Just type a few keywords in the Search box in Backstage (File > Home page) to find the file you’re looking for,” the company explains.
Additionally, Office version 1901 comes with refinements in terms of accessibility. Word, Excel, and PowerPoint now come with a new feature in Review > Check Accessibility that scans your documents and provides an in-depth look at your content to help make documents, spreadsheets, and presentations accessible.
Outlook is getting two different updates in this update. First of all, the application now supports GIFs, so you include animations in your emails. Then, you can manage the encryption of email messages by setting up security options from Options > Encrypt.
Keep in mind that these improvements are released to Office 365 subscribers, and they are currently in preview stage, with the public rollout to kick off in the coming weeks for all customers.